CVE-2016-8458 in Android
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Synaptics touchscreen driver could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of the kernel. This issue is rated as High because it first requires compromising a privileged process. Product: Android. Versions: Kernel-3.10, Kernel-3.18. Android ID: A-31968442.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2022
The CVE-2016-8458 vulnerability represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within the Synaptics touchscreen driver component of Android operating systems. This vulnerability exists within the kernel-level driver responsible for handling touchscreen input events and communications between the hardware and the operating system. The flaw specifically affects Android devices running kernel versions 3.10 and 3.18, making it particularly widespread across numerous Android devices from 2016 and earlier. The vulnerability is classified as High severity due to its potential to allow local malicious applications to execute arbitrary code with kernel-level privileges, effectively bypassing standard Android security boundaries and access controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory handling within the Synaptics touchscreen driver module. When the driver processes touchscreen input data, it fails to properly validate the structure and content of incoming data packets, creating opportunities for buffer overflow conditions or memory corruption. This flaw allows an attacker who has already compromised a privileged process to manipulate the driver's behavior and escalate their privileges to the kernel level. The vulnerability specifically relates to how the driver handles touch events and communicates with the kernel, creating an attack surface where malicious code can exploit memory corruption issues to gain unauthorized access to system resources and execute code with the highest possible privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally compromises the security model of Android devices. Once exploited, the malicious application can access all system resources, read sensitive data, modify system files, and potentially install additional malware without detection. This vulnerability essentially undermines the core security principle of process isolation and privilege separation that Android relies upon for device security. The attack requires an initial compromise of a privileged process, but once achieved, the attacker gains complete control over the device's kernel, making it possible to bypass all security mechanisms including SELinux policies, application sandboxing, and encryption protections. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged to create persistent backdoors or to extract sensitive information from the device.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-8458 focus primarily on patching the affected Synaptics driver components and updating the Android kernel to versions that address the memory handling flaws. System administrators and device manufacturers should implement immediate security updates that correct the input validation issues within the touchscreen driver. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques under T1068, where adversaries leverage software vulnerabilities to gain elevated privileges. Organizations should also consider implementing runtime monitoring and behavioral analysis to detect anomalous driver behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Device manufacturers should enforce secure coding practices during driver development and conduct thorough security testing to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future releases, particularly focusing on input validation and memory management practices that align with industry security standards and best practices.